| You might think that the children are the main | | | | not, and you still would like to home school, see if |
| ones to consider when thinking about home | | | | you can keep one special room for school work |
| schooling, but that's not strictly true. The main | | | | and just shut the door on it at the end of the |
| burden and work of home schooling rests | | | | day. |
| squarely on the shoulders of you, the parent. You | | | | * What are your daily habits? Do you like to sit |
| are the one who will have to implement all the | | | | up half the night and then sleep in till 11am? Being |
| strategies and disciplines involved with the decision | | | | tired and sleepy is not good for getting those |
| to home school and so if you fail, the futures of | | | | school lessons done in a happy and relaxed |
| your children are at stake. To decide if you are | | | | manner. Even though it is the children who will be |
| prepared to home school your children you must | | | | doing them, you are the one who will be |
| ask yourself some pertinent questions. | | | | supervising. If you are tired and cranky most |
| * What is your personality type? Are you | | | | days, home schooling will not be a happy time for |
| conscientious and well organized, or do you have | | | | the children. |
| notes written on scraps of paper all over the | | | | * Your spouse will need some consideration too. |
| house? Are the bills filed into some sort of order | | | | Is he or she likely to be on a job requiring |
| or is there one in the bedroom and another sitting | | | | night-shift? If so, will they need to sleep during the |
| under that coffee mug? You'll need some sort of | | | | day? Unless they are a very sound sleeper, or |
| order to be able to organize the daily schedule of | | | | you are good at keeping the children quiet enough |
| school at home. | | | | to let them sleep, home schooling may not be the |
| * Or perhaps you are at the other extreme - a | | | | right decision for you as a family. |
| place for everything and everything in its place, | | | | So are you prepared for home schooling? Don't |
| with not a speck of dust in sight! Having your | | | | despair if you've decided you are not, yet you still |
| children home all day and working on various | | | | want your little ones to benefit from this type of |
| projects is bound to be a bit messy - maybe a | | | | education. These skills can be learned. If you are |
| lot messy. Will this drive your orderly spirit mad? | | | | determined enough to do it, you can gradually put |
| Can you happily leave some of the housework to | | | | into place the disciplines you need to home school |
| organize and oversee that school project? Can | | | | - and you may find you are a better person for |
| you live with fairly constant noise and clutter? If | | | | it. |